subsist on
phrasal verb
subsisted on; subsisting on; subsists on
: to use (something) as a way to stay alive : to live on (something)
poor people subsisting on just one or two dollars a day
The villagers subsist almost entirely on rice and fish.
(humorous) My brother subsists on pizza.
Examples of subsist on in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
His family, including his wife and a son, subsisted on his $1,000 monthly pension, plus the small fees that his daughter earns translating Chinese literature.
—
Neil MacFarquhar, New York Times, 30 Dec. 2024
For a lion accustomed to around-the-clock human care, four days alone in the Arizona desert—subsisting on nothing but sandwiches and water—was an extraordinary feat.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 5 Jan. 2025
Although streaming is perhaps the future of sports broadcasting and television more broadly, no RSN today, not even one in a big market like New York, can subsist on streaming revenue alone.
—Evan Drellich, The Athletic, 18 Feb. 2025
Indeed, things got so bad that at one point Hawk put himself on a $5-a-day food budget, subsisting on Taco Bell, ramen and peanut butter.
—Nicolas Vega, CNBC, 16 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subsist on
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Neil MacFarquhar, New York Times, 30 Dec. 2024
For a lion accustomed to around-the-clock human care, four days alone in the Arizona desert—subsisting on nothing but sandwiches and water—was an extraordinary feat.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 5 Jan. 2025
Although streaming is perhaps the future of sports broadcasting and television more broadly, no RSN today, not even one in a big market like New York, can subsist on streaming revenue alone.
—Evan Drellich, The Athletic, 18 Feb. 2025
Indeed, things got so bad that at one point Hawk put himself on a $5-a-day food budget, subsisting on Taco Bell, ramen and peanut butter.
—Nicolas Vega, CNBC, 16 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subsist on
Cite this Entry
“Subsist on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subsist%20on. Accessed 20 Mar. 2025.
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